


Red Against Grey

by Carrot_Bunny



Series: MakoHaru Festival 2015 [17]
Category: Free!
Genre: Childhood, Family, M/M, prominent fixation on the colour red
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:16:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3465635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carrot_Bunny/pseuds/Carrot_Bunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I wanted to bring it because he gave it to me. He said it was his favorite, so he wanted me to take good care of it.” Written for the Official Makoharu Festival 2015 - it's posted on their Tumblr page now!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Against Grey

“Is that… is that a red umbrella?”

“At a funeral?”

“How disrespectful…”

“Who are the parents of this child?”

“Lack of proper teaching, that’s what it is.”

Makoto huddled timidly under the red umbrella, as if it could shield him from the stares and mutters as well as the light drizzle. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his mother.

“Makoto-kun, I think it’s best if you put down that umbrella. You can share mine, okay?”

“Bu – but I need to use this one! It… it was his…” Without warning, fat tears started rolling down the little boy’s cheeks, and his breaths came out in uncontrollable sobs.

“Makoto…” He could not see his mother’s face through the tears, so he only blindly followed the arms that steered him to the side and sat him down on a bench. There he sat by himself, trying and failing to staunch the flow of tears until a handkerchief appeared before him. He accepted it, wiped his eyes and looked up to see Haruka standing in front of him.

“Haru-chan!”

For once, Haruka did not protest the usage of the suffix ‘-chan’. “Feel better?”  
Makoto took a deep breath and could feel his emotions calming down. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Haruka sat nex to him on the bench, setting his own black umbrella aside. “Your mum said you couldn’t be with the other mourners, so she told me to come find you here.”

“I think it was because of my umbrella.” Makoto looked up at the umbrella he still held above him and felt a fresh wave of sadness wash over him, but this time he was more in control of his emotions. “I wanted to bring it because he gave it to me. He said it was his favorite, so he wanted me to take good care of it.”

Haruka nodded. “He would be happy to see you using it.”

“But I guess the colour’s a bit inappropriate for a funeral.”

“Actually, I don’t think it’s a problem. People always think funerals have to be solemn and gloomy, but think about it: who would want to be remembered in such a way? For one, I don’t think he would.”

Makoto managed to smile. “You’re right. He was always so cheerful and friendly, he wouldn’t want to see us get so sad over him.”

“That’s why he gave you that umbrella – so you would look at it and have happy memories of your time together.”

“Like when we went fishing, or when he took me aboard his boat…” Makoto fell silent. “His boat was neevr found ater the storm.”

“But at least you still have thisto remind you of him.” Haruka gestured to the red umbrella.

“Yeah.” Makoto stood up. “Thanks, I feel better now. Let’s rejoin the others.”

“So you’ll take your umbrella with you?”

“Yup. He would want to see me with it before he goes into the ground forever.”

“God, then I’ll just put mine away. I’m too lazy to hold my own umbrella.” And with that Haruka closed his umbrella and let it hang on one arm, then got under Makoto’s umbrella. The two of them then walked among the tombstones side by side, the red umbrella standing out from its grey surroundings.

…

They stood in front of the newly-covered grave, loking down at the tombstone with the carvings freshly etched on it. Everyone else had left, wanting to get here before the mild drizzle turned into a fully-fledged downpour, so they werethe only ones in the graveyard. The red colour of the umbrella still gleamd bright against the faded background as always.

“Haru, we should be leaving too.”

“Just a few minutes more. I want to spend a little more time with her.” Haruka had not cried once during the entire service, and Makoto was frankly a bit worried about his friend’s stoic exterior.

“We could come back tomorrow and bring her some flowers. She liked flowers.”

“Fresh ones. Prefarably red, like your umbrella. She loved red.” Haruka paused, then spoke with a slight tremor in his voice. “She… she said red was widely believed to be a lucky colour, and even though supposed lucky charms never work, it never hurt to try. She also said red makes people feel happy.”

Makoto turned his head at that, just in time to see a tear slide down Haruka’s cheek. “Oh, Haru.” He reached out an arm and pulled his friend to his chest, and the rain fell around them as the front of his shirt grew wet with tears.

…

“That’s a really pretty umbrella,” Kairi said when she saw it.

Makoto smiled gently down at her. “Oh? In what way?”  
“It givs people a happy feeling. Like there’s a big celebration, or a festival.”

‘Would you like to go to a festival?” Haruka asked her.

Her little green eyes shone. “A festival! Where?”  
“In Iwatobi. It’s our hometown, and there’s a summer festival whenever it’s the middle of the year. We’re going back in a few weeks.”

“That sounds fun! I rarely go anywhere outside of Tokyo.”

“Well, we’ll be going there a lot. It’s your hometown too now.” Makoto held open the door as Haruka opened the umbrella.

“Got all your things?”

“Yeah!” Kairi handed over her little suitcase to Haruka, then watched as he slung its straps over his shoulders.

“Makoto.”

“Got it.” Makoto bent down and swept Kairi into his arms, then lifted her off the ground. Her black hair brushed across his face.

“Let’s go.” And they walked out the door and down the street away from the orphanage, Haruka holding the umbrella over their little family.

“Daddy, your arms are really strong!”

“Haha,the better to carry you with, my dear.”

“What about me? I’m holding the umbrella for all of you.”

“Okay Papa, you’re really strong too!”

“Haru, move the umbrella towards yourself a bit more, you’re getting wet.”

“It’s fine. As long as you two are okay.”

“Then come closer, Papa! That way all of us won’t get wet!”

“Okay.” Haruka moved closer so his shoulders were rubbing against Makoto’s arms. He smiled as Kairi laughed at a joke Makoto had made, and held the umbrella closer to them. The umbrella had seen its fair share of endings, and now it was witness to a new beginning as well.

**Author's Note:**

> Coincidentally, the Lunar New Year celebrations haven't ended yet (not until the 5th) so a tribute of sorts I guess?


End file.
